Following the McDowell quip, an apparrently offended Corso went stone silent, with a stunned McDowell then saying, “Or did I read that wrong?” After a long pause, Corso muttered, “I won’t even give you … next question.” He then said, “I think that was very sarcastic and I don’t appreciate it. And I’m not kidding.”
McDowell: “Really?”
Corso: “Why would you say that? It’s not funny at all. The people out there that don’t know me, would say, ‘what kind of jerk is this guy?‘”
McDowell: “Well wouldn’t you think most people out there listening know me?”
Corso: “They probably think you’re a jerk … you are a jerk.”
McDowell: “We’re having fun here. You’re telling us funny stories about Burt Reynolds and now all of a sudden I’m a big jerk?”
Corso: “You are a big jerk, because of the fact you take a shot at me. Because you inferred the fact that I posed naked.”
McDowell: “How is that a shot?”
Corso: “Because that’s against what I would do.”
McDowell: “And that’s not a joke then? The irony of the whole situation? Lee Corso certainly wouldn’t do that. Burt Reynolds would.”
Corse: “Not to me. I don’t appreciate people taking shots and joking at my expense, when I don’t do that to anybody else.”
McDowell: “Well I think that’s real silly. I really do. I don’t think you should be offended at all. And I thought we were laughing here and having a good time … ”
Corso interrupted: “Not at my expense.”
McDowell then essentially showed Corso the door, saying, “I guess I should thank you for stopping by then?”